Member Benefits Abound at ASCO Meetings

The ASCO Annual Meeting and cosponsored thematic symposia offer something of value for every oncology professional, regardless of the attendee’s affiliation with ASCO. But Society members do receive special benefits at the Annual Meeting and thematic symposia that can add significant value to their experience there and beyond.

Members: Register and Reserve Housing Today Member registration and housing reservations for the 2010 ASCO Annual Meeting are now open. Members have always enjoyed the benefit of reserving their Annual Meeting housing before the housing block is made available to nonmember attendees. This year, as an added member benefit, ASCO members can streamline their Annual Meeting experience by reserving housing and registering for the Meeting simultaneously. Visit ASCO.org and type ascoannualmeeting to register and reserve housing. Abstract submission for the Annual Meeting closes on January 12, 2010, at 11:59 PM (EST ). Visit www.asco.org/cfa to review the Call for Abstracts submission information.

“When I walk away from the Annual Meeting, I’ve brushed up on some things that I don’t normally see, for example in the Highlights of the Day session and other Education Sessions. I feel like I’m a stronger oncologist and I’m better able to serve my patients when I leave the Annual Meeting every year,” John E. Pippen, Jr., MD, of Sammons Cancer Center, said. For Dr. Pippen, an ASCO member since 1999, the Annual Meeting and thematic symposia are places where members can really see their benefits at work.

“As a practicing oncologist, my membership in ASCO has been extremely valuable. The educational materials help me help my patients. I feel like I’ve helped my fellow oncologists through my service on ASCO committees. I’ve made friends throughout the world who are all working together to help patients with cancer. I recommend that every single person who’s interested in oncology join ASCO,” he said.

Eliezer Robinson, MD, of the National Council For Oncology and the Israeli Cancer Association, has attended the ASCO Annual Meeting for the past 30 years. “I hear the lectures, meet a lot friends, make new friends, and exchange ideas,” he said. “I come back home with new ideas, new energy, and hoping to give better care to my patients.”

Significant Savings on Registration, Materials
As the global economy continues to be unpredictable, discounts and savings are more important than ever. ASCO members save 30% to 60% off the nonmember registration rate at the ASCO Annual Meeting and co-sponsored symposia—savings that can reach hundreds of dollars per year.

Members also receive discounts on educational products such as Virtual Meeting and podcast presentations from meeting sessions, which can enhance their experience at the Meeting and serve as reference and educational materials after the event concludes. Members who register before general registration opens also get the first choice of ticketed Meet the Professor and Clinical Problems in Oncology sessions, and receive discounts on these purchases as well, allowing member attendees to maximize their educational opportunities during the meeting.

In addition, members receive many meeting materials, including the Annual Meeting Proceedings and ASCO Educational Book, at no charge.

“Once a person samples some of the things that ASCO provides, they’ll want more,” Dr. Pippen said. “Discounts for attending the Annual Meeting, for me, really encourage attendance. When people see how great the event and the materials are, they’ll want to come back.”

Exclusive Access to Lounges
Emerging oncologists who join ASCO also have access to the Fellows and Active- Junior Lounge, a private room with light refreshments, computers, and quiet space for networking, conversations, and discussions with Meeting faculty. Dr. Pippen, who participated in several presentations on topics of interest to early-career oncologists at the 2009 ASCO Annual Meeting, noted that “I encourage people to take advantage of ASCO membership starting as a fellow. You’re really missing out if you wait to join.”

Sponsor Your Own Science
More than 2,200 abstracts were presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting in 2009—all of them were sponsored by ASCO members. Clinical scientists and translational researchers who are members of ASCO can sponsor their own abstracts. Nonmembers must find an Active or Active-Junior member to sponsor their abstract, spending time and effort that could otherwise be devoted to research or patient care. (Restrictions apply based on membership category.)

A Sense of Belonging
ASCO members may observe an intangible benefit at the ASCO Annual Meeting or thematic symposia: the sense that this is, at heart, their meeting, executed by the organization to which they belong.

“I have a sense of ownership when I’m at the Annual Meeting, especially because of some of the work we’ve done on ASCO committees,” Dr. Pippen said. “When we provide our input, the ASCO staff really listens. I have enjoyed committee work with ASCO for more than 10 consecutive years and have found it to be a rewarding part of my practice of oncology. We not only improve the organization itself, but through our committee work we improve the care of the oncology patient. I feel like I’ve had a part in that.”

And although the science presented at the Annual Meeting is intended for all, it is members who serve on the various Society committees who determine the scope, breadth, and focus of the event.

“I’ve served on the Cancer Education Committee and I’ve been actively involved in the Career Development Subcommittee, so I take pride in the way that the Meeting has shaped up. I feel like I’ve contributed to its success. Being a member, where I am doing things to improve the practice of oncology and improve the Meeting itself, I think I’m getting something more out of the Meeting than a nonmember,” Dr. Pippen said.

Dr. Robinson, who serves as Chair of the International Affairs Committee, considers his ASCO membership to be “so good that I cannot describe it. [ASCO] brings so much support to the oncology community and to patients with cancer.”